Pin plate attachment for clip tenter chain



Feb. 11, 1958 E. c. RUST, JR 1 PIN PLATE ATTACHMENT FOR CLIP TENTER CHAIN Filed Nov. 25. 1955 INVENTOR AiTORNEYS PIN PLATE ATTACHMENT FOR CLIP TENTER CHAIN Edgar (I. Rust, Jr., Williamstown, Mass., assignor to James Hunter Machine Company, North Adams, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 25, 1955, Serial No. 548,929

5 Claims. (Cl. 26-62) This invention relates to fabric holding devices for tenters. It has particular reference to an improved device for this purpose for holding the fabric edges or selvages by means of tenter pins and which can be readily attached to or detached from a clip type of tenter chain link, whereby the fabric can be held by either the clip or the pins, as desired.

The tenters commonly used for treating textiles comprise a pair of endless tenter chains arranged to be moved along opposed rails so as to draw the fabric through a chamber for drying or otherwise treating the fabric. Each chain is made up of links having means for gripping the adjacent edge portion or selvage of the fabric. In some instances, the fabric gripping means are in the form of clips which include a jaw pivotally mounted on each link above a fabric supporting base of the link, the lower end of the jaw being adapted to engage the underlying edge portion of the fabric so as to clamp the fabric against the supporting base of the clip. The clip jaw is provided with an arm or lever engageable with cams at the ends of the tenter so as to raise the jaw to permit feeding of the fabric under the jaw at one end of the tenter and release of the fabric at the discharge end of the tenter. In other instances, the fabric gripping means comprise a set of pins carried by each link, the fabric being impaled upon the pins at one end of the tenter and stripped from the pins at the discharge end of the tenter.

It is frequently desirable to change from one type of fabric gripping means to the other, as the particular type which is selected will depend upon the nature of the fabric and the treatment which it is to undergo as it is drawn by the tenter chains through the treating chamber. Heretofore, various expedients have been proposed to allow such change, but these prior expedients are not entirely satisfactory. For example, it has been proposed to provide a conventional clip type of tenter chain link with a pincarrying plate suitably hinged on the link so that the pin plate can be swung to an inoperative position during use of the clip and to an operative position when the fabric is to be held by the pins. This arrangement, however, is expensive to construct and is rather complicated by the fact that the pin plate must be adjustable so that it will not interfere with the clip when the latter is to be used as the fabric gripping means. It has also been proposed to provide a separate detachable pin plate for each link, which is attached to the link by machine screws, or the nite States Patent like, when the fabric is to be gripped by the pins. With provide a simple form of pin plate attachment for a tenter chain link of the clip type, and to provide such an attachment which can be readily secured to or released from the link.

According to the invention, thetenter chain link forms the usual fabric supporting base extending length of the link along its inner portion below a clip jaw pivotally mounted on the link. This jaw extends downward and outward from its pivot means and is engageable at its lower end with the base. so as to limit inward swinging of the jaw, that is, swinging of the jaw inward toward the links of the opposing chain, as is conventional. Thus, the clip jaw can be used in the usual manner for gripping the fabric by clamping its underlying edge portion against the base of the clip. A removable plate is adapted to be held on the base by engagement with the lower end of the clip jaw, this plate carrying tenter pins on which the fabric can be impaled. The pin plate is held securely on the base by a wedging action of the overlying jaw, which prevents inward displacement of the plate relative to the base; but the plate can be removed from the link upon outward swinging of the clip jaw to disengage the plate, which permits inward movement of the plate so that it can be withdrawn from below the jaw and from the link. Accordingly, the clip jaw serves the dual functions of gripping the fabric against the base, when the pin plate attachment is not used, and clamping the pin plate to the base when the fabric is to be gripped by the pins.

In the preferred construction of the new fabric gripping device, a spring or other biasing element is disposed between the detachable pin plate and the fabric supporting base of the chain link and urges the pin plate inward (toward the opposing chain) relative to the base, thereby serving to wedge the plate firmly between the clip jaw and the base and prevent accidental outward swinging of the jaw which would release the pin plate attachment. However, by forcing the plate outward against the action of the biasing element, the clip jaw can be swung outward to release the plate so that it can be removed from the link. Preferably, the pin plate is provided on its upper surface with an inwardly facing shoulder adapted to be engaged by the lower end of the clip jaw in its plate locking position, this shoulder preventing the jaw from swinging out of engagement with the plate except when the latter is forced outward against the action of the biasing element. Also, the pin-carrying plate may be provided with stops engageable with the link to hold the plate against displacement lengthwise of the link.

The tenter pins may be connected rigidly to the pin plate attachment or they may be secured to a pin holder which is pivotally mounted on the plate to allow the pins to swing vertically relative to the link. The latter arrangement, which is disclosed in a copending application of Frank B. Morrill, Serial No. 538,701, filed October 5, 1955, now U. S. Patent #2,787,822, has the advantage that the pins are free to swing upward after the fabric has been impaled thereon, so that the pins assume a greater angle to the vertical and thereby hold the fabric more securely against accidental lifting from the pins during movement of the fabric through the treating chamber.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end View of a tenter chain link embodying a preferred form of the invention, showing the pin plate attachment locked to the link by the clip jaw;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the chain link shown in Fig. l, as seen from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the link shown in Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of part of the pin plate attachment shown in Figs. 1-3.

Referring to the drawing, the tenter chain link 10 is adapted to move lengthwise along the upper surface of the usual supporting rail 11 (Fig. 1). At one end, the link 10 is formed with clevis jaws 10a, and at the oppo-' site end the link has a tongue 10b adapted to fit closely between the jaws 10a of an adjacent link (not-shown). It will be understood that a number oflinks 10 are inter- 3 connected end-to-end to form an endless series or chain, the clevis a of each link receiving the tongue 1% of an adjacent link and being pivoted thereto by a clevis pin (not shown) extending through aligned holes 100 in the jaws and tongue. It will be further understood that a similar chain (not shown) is provided on a rail (not shown) similar to the rail 11 and extending generally parallel thereto, so that both chains are movable along the rails in opposed relation, as is conventional in the art.

The link 10 forms a fabric supporting base 12 extending lengthwise of the link along its inner portion, that is the portion of the link facing the opposing chain. A bracket 13 on the link extends upwardly and inwardly over the base 12 and supports a depending jaw 14. The jaw 14 is secured to the inner end of the bracket, which is bifurcated, by pivot means 15 in the form of a horizontal shaft extending lengthwise of the link. As shown particularly in Fig. 1, the distance between the axis of the supporting shaft 15 and the lower end or tip 14a of the jaw is greater than the vertical distance between this axis and the underlying fabric supporting base 12. The jaw 14 extends downward and outward from the pivot means or shaft 15, and because of the above-mentioned proportioning of the jaw relative to the height or" the shaft above the base 12, inward swinging of the jaw about its axis 15 is limited by engagement of the lower end of the jaw with the base 12. An arm or lever 16 extends upward from the jaw 14 and is engageable with the usual cams (not shown) at the inlet and discharge ends of the tenter machine, whereby the lower end of the jaw is raised from the base 12 to permit feeding of the fabric onto the base and removal of the fabric from the base. When the fabric has been fed to the base 12 in the usual manner at the inlet end of the machine, the jaw arm 16 is released by the cam to perirnt the lower tip 14a of the jaw to swing downward by gravity and grip the underlying edge portion of the fabric against the base 12; If desired, the jaw may be provided with the usual feeler (not shown) engageable with the fabric to hold the tip 14a out of contact with the fabric until the edge of the latter has been moved inward to a predetermined distance rom the inner edge of the base 12, whereupon the 'feeler disengages the fabric and allows the jaw tip 14:; to clamp the fabric against the base. When the link 10 arrives at the discharge end of the machine, the arm 16 is again actuated by a stationary cam to raise the tip 140 and allow removal of the fabric from the base.

The pin plate attachment comprises a plate 18 mounted on top of the base 12. The plate 18 extends inward over the edge of the base and has a downwardly extending portion 18a facing the inner edge of the base 12. A depressed part 1812 of the plate extends inward from the bottom of the downwardly extending portion 18a. A pin holder 19 is secured to the upper face of the depressed part 1815, as by means of machine screws 20. The holder 1) has a series of pins 19a secured thereto, the pins extending upwardly and outwardly from the holder.

At its upper surface, the plate 13 has a pair of tabs 22 secured to the plate in any suitable manner, as by welding. The tabs 22 have end portions 23 bent downwardly to form stops adjacent the ends of the base portion 12 of the link. As shown particularly inFigs. 2 and 3, these stops 23 straddle the ends of the base portion 12 so as to prevent longitudinal displacement of the plate 18 relative to the link. Also, the tabs 22 form an inwardly facing shoulder 22a (Figs. 3 and 4) which is engaged by the lower tip 14a of the clip jaw to lock the pin plate attachment on the base 12.

The pin plate attachment also comprises a biasing element 24 disposed between the plate 18 and the -link, this biasing element serving to urge the plate 18 inward relative to the link 10 (to the left in Fig. 1). Asshown, the biasing element 24 comprises a leaf springsecured to the downwardly extending portion 18a of the plate, as'by means of a central rivet 24a. The free end portions of the leaf spring 24 engage the opposing inner edge of the base 12 and urge the plate 18 inward relative to the base (to the left in Fig. 1).

To attach the pin plate 18 to the link 16, the outer edge portion of the plate is placed on top of the base 12, and the plate is displaced outward (to the right in Fig. 1) to engage the free ends of spring 24 with the inner edge .of the base 12. The plate 18 is then forced outward against the action of the spring 24 until the shoulder 22a clears the lower tip 14a of the jaw, allowing the jaw tip to swing inwardly and downwardly against the upper surface of plate 18 in front of the shoulder 22a. Thus, when-the plate 18 is released, the spring action of the distorted end portions of spring 24 urge the plate 18 inward (to the left in Fig. 1) to engage the shoulder 22a with the jaw tip 14a, thereby urging the jaw 14-inward or clockwise about its pivot 15, as shown in Fig. 1. This causes the plate 18 to be wedged firmly between the jaw tip 14a and the base 12 of the link. In thislocked position of the plate 18, outward movement of'the plate (to the right in Fig. 1) is resisted by the free ends of the leaf spring 24; and inward movement of the plate (to the left in Fig. l) is prevented by the jaw 14, since the jaw tip 14a cannot move further to the left in Fig. 1 due to the fact that the distance between this tip and the axis of pivot 15 is greater than the vertical distance between the pivot axis and the base 12. Thus, the plate 18 is held firmly in position relative to the link 10 by the combined actions of spring 24.and the jaw 14, which wedge the plate tightly against the'base 12. In this locked position of the pin plate 18, any substantial endwise movement of the plate relative to link It) is prevented by the stops 23 opposing the corresponding ends of the base 12.

When the pin plate 18 is thus attached to the link 10, the fabric can be applied to the pins 19a in the usual manner, so that the adjacent edge portion or selvage of the fabric is impaled on the pins.

To remove the pin plate attachment from the link 10, the plate 18 is forced outward against the action of spring 24 until the jaw tip 14a can clear the shoulder 22a. The jaw 14 is then swung outward (counterclockwise in Fig. 1) to disengage the plate 18, whereupon the plate 18 can be displaced inwardly relative to the base 12 (to the left in Fig. l), and removed from the link 10.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the pin plate attachment 18 can be readily connected to the link '19 without the use of machine screws or other 'auxiilary connecting means which require a substantial period of time to elfect the connecting operation. Once the pinplate attachment has been connected to the link, the attachment is held securely in its operating position by the hinged jaw 14 which otherwise serves as the means for clamping the fabric to the base 12 when the pin'plate attachment is not used. The detachment of the pin plate 18 can also be effected quickly and easily by simply displacing the pin plate against the force of spring24 and swinging the clip jaw 14 outward to disengage the plate 18. This enables the clip jaw 14 to operate in the usual manner for clamping the edge portion of the fabric against the underlying base 12, without interference from the pin plate attachment.

As previously mentioned, the pins 1% can be rigidly connected to the plate 18, as shown; or the holder 19 for these pins may be pivotally connected to the plate 18 to permit upward swinging of the pins relative to the'link 10, as disclosed in said copending application SerialNo. 538,701 of Frank B. Merrill, and now U. S. Patent #2,787,822.

Iclaim:

1. In a fabric holding device for tenters, the combination of a tenter chain link forming a fabric supporting base, the base extending lengthwise of the link along the inner edge portion thereof, a clip jaw, pivot means mounting the jaw on the link above said base to allow swinging of the jaw laterally of the link, the jaw extending downward and outward from the pivot means and being engageable at its lower end with said base to limit inward swinging of the jaw, a removable plate held on said base by engagement with the lower end of the clip jaw, the plate being removable from the link upon outward swinging of the jaw to disengage the plate, tenter pins carried by the removable plate, and a biasing element disposed between said base and plate to urge the plate inward relative to the base, thereby wedging the plate between the clip jaw and said base.

2. The combination according to claim 1, in which said biasing element is a spring secured to the plate.

3. The combination according to claim 1, in which the removable plate has on its upper surface an inwardly facing shoulder engaging the lower end of the jaw, the plate being movable outward against the biasing element to disengage said shoulder from the jaw and thereby permit outward swinging of the jaw to release the plate.

4. The combination according to claim 1, in which the removable plate has a downwardly extending portion facing the inner edge of the base, the plate also having an inwardly extending part at the bottom of said portion and which carries the tenter pins, the biasing element being disposed between said downwardly extending portion and inner edge.

5. In a fabric holding device for tenters, the combination of a tenter chain link forming a fabric supporting base, the base extending lengthwise of the link along the inner edge portion thereof, a clip jaw, pivot means mounting the jaw on the link above said base to allow swinging of the jaw laterally of the link, the jaw extending downward and outward from the pivot means and being engageable at its lower end with said base to limit inward swinging of the jaw, a removable plate on the base adapted to be wedged between the lower end of the jaw and the base, an inwardly facing shoulder located on the upper surface of the plate and engageable with the lower end of the jaw to prevent outward swinging of the jaw from the plate, the plate being slidable outward on the base to disengage the jaw and thereby release the jaw for said outward swinging, and tenter pins carried by the removable plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,760,251 Kirkpatrick Aug. 28, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,075,921 France Apr. 14, 1954 

